Occupational Environment: and Health

Occupational
Environment and Health
Dr. Zhang Qiao

Department of Toxicology
College of Public Health
Zhengzhou University
18-10-2006
Introduction
In this section we will introduce the

relationship between Occupational
Environment and Health －
Occupational medicine or
Occupational hygiene.
Part 1. Occupational Environment and
Occupational hygiene
Part 2. Practice of Occupational

Medicine and Occupational
hygiene
Part 3. Disease Associated with
Exposure to Occupational factors
Part 1. Occupational Environment
and Occupational hygiene
1.1. Concept of Occupational Hazards
1.2. Classification of Occupational
Hazards
1.3. Concept of Occupational Hygiene
1.4. Occupational Impariment
1.1. Concept of Occupational Hazards
HGP and EGP
HGP: Human Genome Project

EGP: Environmental Genome Project
Balance: health
Disordor: disease
Hazard Environment
factors
Host (human
body)
Occupational Environment
Work is essential for life, development

and personal fulfilment. Unfortunately,
to a greater or lesser extent, Work can
create hazards to the health of workers
and those in nearby communities, as well
as to the general environment.
Occupational Environment
These activities are indispensable

such as food production, extraction
of raw materials, manufacturing of
goods, energy production and
services involve processes,
operations and materials
Interactions between people and the
Occupational Hazards:
refer to the occupational factors

in the occupational environment or
in the occupational process which
have negative effects on a worker’s
health.
1.2. Classification
of Occupational Hazards
 Chemical factors
 Physical factors
 Biological factors
 Ergonomic and Psychosocial factors
1.2.1 chemical hazards
Chemical hazards, or chemical risk
factors, are those chemical compounds to
which a worker is exposed in the course of
his work and that may produce harmful
effects when taken into the organism in
doses exceeding the capacity of the body to
deal with them.
Chemical factors and

chemical classification
methods based on different
consideration.
Classification depending on their state
of aggregation in the atmosphere
① gas
② vapor
③ smoke
Aerosols
④ dust (colloidal dispersion)
⑤ fog
Gas--It shows gas state at general
temperature and general
atmospheric pressure
Such as chlorine (Cl2 ), ammonia

(NH3), hydrogen sulfide ( H2S)
Vapor-- It formed by fluid and solid
evaporating .
Such as mercury (Hg), Benzene.

Mercury exposure could cause Hg
poisoning and benzene exposure could result
in benzene poisoning.
Smoke--It formed by floatable solid
particles. It’s diameter is less
than 0.1μm.
(fume)
Such as lead smoke,

Zinc smoke etc.
Dust--It is a kind of floatable
solid particles. But it’s
diameter is more than 0.1 μm.
eg. silica dust ( SiO2), asbestos

fibers , coal dusts.
Fog-- Suspended fluid small drops
in working environment.
Such as
spraying fluid pesticide,
acid fog etc.
Classification based on
chemical structure
 Toxicant
 Dust
Toxicant
 Metal and mineral substances: Pb Hg As
 Organic solvents: alcohol, benzene,ketones
 Irritant gases: SO2 NxOy
 Chokedamps(Asphyxiating gases): CO H2S
 Pesticides:
 Plasticizers,organic dyes,etc.
dust
 Organic dust
 Inorganic dust
 Mixture dust
Which factors influence the
adverse affects ?
 Dose(concentration)
Exposure
 Time of exposure level
 Way to exposure
 interaction
1.2.2 Physical hazards
 Microclimate:
temperature,humidity, air
speed and thermal radiation
 Abnormal air pressure
 Noise and vibration
 Radiation
Radiation
Nonionizing radiation: UV,

infrared radiation, microwave,

LASER
(Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of
Radiation)
1.2.3 Biological agents
 Vegetation and vegetable dust
 Substances of animal origin
 Combinations of substances of
vegetable and animal origin
 Microorganisms and products of
their metabolism
 Insects-mites, ants, mosquitoes
Workers could be exposed to biological
factors in some occupational
environment, such as work at forest ,
factory of leather and slaughterhouse.
The diseases caused by biological factors
such as: aspergillosis, rabies, anthrax, eta.
One form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is known as farmer's
lung because the farmer inhales thermophilic actinomycetes in
moldy hay that set off the reaction. The bales in this field are
of good quality and less likely to produce this disease.
1.2.4 Ergonomic and
Psychosocial factors

The workload and the
intensity of activity are the
ergonomic factors that largely
determine the effects on
health.
Heavy exhausting work and
intense mental activity
characterized by extreme
nervous and emotional strain
may cause early functional
disorders and pathological
changes in the cardiovascular
1.2.5 Combined Effects
of
Occupational
Factors
There are usually

various occupational
factors in the workplace.
They may have the
Industrial workers
are usually exposed
not only to the
combined effects of
various chemicals but
also, at the same time,
to the action of
physical agents.
1.3 Conception of Occupational Hygiene
(Industrial
Hygiene)
Occupational Health
 Occupational health is a multifaceted
activity concerned with the prevention of ill
health in employed populations.
 A Joint International Labour
Organization/Would Health Organization
(ILO/WHO) Committee defined the subject
back in 1950 as:
Occupational Health
 The promotion and maintenance of the

highest degree of physical, mental and
social well being of workers in all
occupations.
 Main aim is to prevent, rather than cure.
The generation and release of

harmful agents in the work
environment can be prevented,
through adequate hazard control
interventions.
The control interventions not only

protect workers' health but also limit
the damage to the environment often
associated with industrialization.
If a harmful chemical is eliminated

from a work process, it will neither
affect the workers nor go beyond, to
pollute the environment.
Only the control
of occupational
hazards can break
the vicious circle
The profession that aims specifically

at the prevention and control of
hazards arising from work processes
is occupational hygiene.
the science of the anticipation,
Occupational
recognition, hygiene
evaluation and control
of hazards arising in or from the
workplace, and which could impair
the health and well-being of
workers, also taking into account
the possible impact on the
surrounding communities and the
general environment.
The goals of occupational hygiene

include the protection and promotion
of workers' health, the protection of
the environment and contribution to a
safe and sustainable development.
prevention treatment
Scopes of action for occupational physicians and

The task of occupational hygiene
to recognize
to evaluate
the
occupational
to predict hazards
to control
Elements of risk assessment
1.4 Occupational Impariment
 occupational injuries
 occupational disorders
work- occupational
related diseases
diseases

Occupational Environment: and Health

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Occupational Environment: and Health

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Occupational

Environment and Health

Dr. Zhang Qiao

In this section we will introduce the

Part 2. Practice of Occupational

HGP and EGP

HGP: Human Genome Project

Work is essential for life, development

These activities are indispensable

refer to the occupational factors

Chemical factors and

Such as chlorine (Cl2 ), ammonia

Such as mercury (Hg), Benzene.

Such as lead smoke,

eg. silica dust ( SiO2), asbestos

infrared radiation, microwave,

There are usually

 The promotion and maintenance of the

The generation and release of

The control interventions not only

If a harmful chemical is eliminated

The profession that aims specifically

The goals of occupational hygiene

Scopes of action for occupational physicians and

You might also like